Ash tray



c. A. JlNKs May 27, 1952 ASI-I TRAY Filed. Aug. 24, 1951 FIGJ.

FIG .2.

INVENTOR. Charles A. Jinks BY AGENT Patented May 27, 1952 ASH TRAY Charles A. Jinks, San Diego, Calif., assignor of one-half to Hunter M. Muir, San Diego, Calif.

Application August 24, 1951, 'Serial No. 243,489

g 4 Claims.

My invention relates to an ash tray and the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide an ash tray of this class which automatically crushes and snuffs lighted cigarettes deposited therein during retraction oi the tray thereof.

Second, to. provide an ash tray of this class which provides additional safety in the disposal of lighted cigarettes in motor vehicles or in any other location as desired.

Third, to provide an ash tray ofthis class which incorporates a receiving tray adjacent to which a snuing roller is rotatably mounted whereby movement of the tray past the roller in one direction causes a cigarette on the. tray to be crushed and snuifed by engagement of the roller, whereby subsequent movement of the tray in the opposite direction causes the roller to lock against rotation and drag the crushed cigarette from the tray and deposit it in a receptacle below the receiving tray shelf'.

Fourth, to provide an ash tray of this class which crushes and snuls` a. cigarette when the movable tray thereof is retracted and automatically clears the receiving portion of the tray when the tray is extended.

Fifth, to provide an ash tray of this class which is particularly adapted for use in automotive. or other vehicle installations wherein retractable ash trays are desirablel Sixth, to provide an ash tray of this class which is very simple and easy to. operate and,

Seventh, to provide an ash tray of this class which is very simple and economical of construction, eicient in operation and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination of arrangement of parts and portions and will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the The frame I, is a hollow structure having a rectangular cross section as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 which may be made of sheet metal or other suitable material. Thisframe I, may be installed in the instrument panel of motor vehicles or may be recessed in furniture, Walls or other structures as desired. Fixed to the upper inner side of the frame I is the substantially U-shaped roller bracket 4 having arm portions 4a and lib through which the shaft 5a extends. Rotatably mounted on this shaft 5a is the elongated roller 5 having a circular cross section shown best in Fig. Vl 'of the drawings. This roller 5 is provided with a plurality of staggered projections 5b which extend radially from the periphery thereof.l Fixed to the roller 5 at one end thereof is the ratchet wheel 5c. This ratchet Wheel 5c is provided with buttress ratchetA teeth extending around its periphery which are engageable by the pawl 6, a gravity actuated pawl pivotally mounted on the pin 6a which is fixed to the leg 4b of the roller bracket 4 all as shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Pivotally mounted on the frame I by means of the pin 3a which extends through a tabY Ia projecting from the upper side of the frame I is the tray stop 3. The tray stop 3 is provided with an inclined cam surface 3b on its front side engageable with and adapted to slide over the inclined surface 2e at the rear of the stop surface 2a when the tray is being inserted into the frame I. The tray stop 3 is provided with a stop surface 3c at its rear side engageable With the stopsurface portion 2a of the side wall 2b of the tray 2 when the tray 2 is in the open position as shown by dash lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The tray 2l is a rectangular tray substantially conforming to the inner walls of the frame I and is reciprocally mounted therein. This tray 2 is provided with a rear wall having its upper edge 2c on a level substantially coinciding with the ends of the projections 5b extending from the roller 5 so that the tray 2 may be removed from the frame I by releasing the latch 3 without causing interference of the roller 5 at the edge 2c of the rear Wall of the tray 2 when removing the same from the frame I. The tray 2 is provided with a shelf 1 xed therein. This shelf 'i at its rear end 'la is spaced forwardly from the upper edge 2c of the rear Wall of the tray 2 and the forward portion of the shelf 'I extends upwardly on an arc sub- 4 stantially concentric with the roller 5 when the tray 8 is in closed position as shown in ll of the drawings., The, upper forward end portion 5by of the shelf 1 is fixed to the. tray front 8 which is provided with a nger recess sa. for manual extension and retraction of the trayl 2 3 relative to the frame I. It will be noted that the shelf 'I at its horizontally disposed portion 'Ic is spaced from the bottom 2d of the tray 2 providing considerable storage space below the shelf 'I within the tray 2.

The operation of my ash tray is substantially as follows:

When the tray 2 is in the extended dash line position A shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, a lighted cigarette may be placed upon the horizontal portion 'Ic of the tray shelf l'. When the tray 2 is manually retracted to the solid line position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, a cigarette -as indicated by dash lines B is engaged by the projecting pins 5b of the roller 5 causing it to be held while the roller 5 attens and crushes the cigarette B and snuffs the lighted end thereof. It will be noted that when the tray 2 is retracted to the solid line position by moving it in the direction as indicated by the arrow C that the ratchet wheel 5c bypasses the end of the pawl 6 causing slightly elevated pivotal movement of said pawl 6 about the axis of the pin Ila. Thus the roller 5 rotates freely in the direction of the arrow D shown in Fig. l of the drawings and i when the tray 2 is subsequently extended in the direction of the arrow E into the dash line position A, the pawl 6 prevents the roller from rotating in the direction of the arrow F which causes the mashed and flattened cigarette G to be dragged rearwardly on the horizontal portion ic of the shelf I and dropped between the end 'la of the shelf 1 and the upper edge 2c of the rear Wall of the tray 2. The cigarette then assumes the position H and the tray shelf I is cleared for the'subsequent deposit of cigarettes thereon. It is therefore to be noted that manual retraction of the tray 2 causes a cigarette to be automatically crushed and snued by the roller 5 and that subsequent extension of the tray 2 to the dash line position A causes the roller to be locked by the pawl 6 and to drag the crushed cigarette from the horizontal portion 'lb of the shelf 'l and deposit the same into the lower portion of the tray 2. It will be here noted that any equivalent of the pawl 6 and ratchet wheel 5c may be employed, for example an over running clutch of any type may be used in connection with the roller 5 to accomplish the free rotation thereof in one direction and the locking thereof against rotation in the opposite direction.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction combination and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

When the tray 2 is in the open dash line position A, it may be removed from the frame I by engaging the cam surface 3b of the tray stop 3, by a suitable instrument, causing upward pivotal movement thereof until the stop 3c clears the stop surface 2a, whereupon the tray 2 may be readily, slidably pulled from the frame I. When 'inserting the tray 2 in the frame I, the inclined surface 2c engages the cam surface 3b and forces the tray stop 3 to pivot upwardly, providing clearance for the stop 2a to pass to the rear of the frame I as shown in' Fig. 1, whereupon the tray stop 3 pivots by gravity about the pin 3c into the position shown in Fig. 1, in order to prevent subsequent inadvertent removal of the tray 2 from the frame I.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an ash tray a frame, a tray slidably mounted in said frame, a roller, having its major axis mounted in stationary relationship with said frame, said tray having a shelf portion disposed substantially horizontally adjacent the periphery of said roller compressible means on said tray engageable with said roller at its periphery for rotating the same in one direction when said tray is forced inwardly into said frame and second means preventing rotation of said roller in the opposite direction during movement of said tray outwardly of said frame.

2. ln an ash tray a frame, a tray slidably mounted in said frame, a roller, having its major axis mounted in stationary relationship with said frame, said tray having a shelf portion disposed substantially horizontally adjacent the periphery of said roller compressible means on said tray engageable with said roller at its periphery for rotating the same in one direction when said tray is forcedv inwardly vinto said frame and second means preventing rotation of said roller in the opposite direction during movement of said tray outwardly of said frame and the forward portion of said shelf curved upwardly substantially concentric to said roller.

3. fn an ash tray a frame, a tray slidably mounted in said frame, a roller, having its major axis mounted in stationary relationship with said frame, said tray having a shelf portion disposed substantially horizontally adjacent the periphery of said roller compressible means on said tray engageable with said roller at its periphery for rotating the same in one direction when said tray is forced inwardly into said frame and second means preventing rotation of said roller in the opposite direction during movement of said tray outwardly of said frame and the forward portion of said shelf curved upwardly substantially concentric to said rollerV and; said tray having storage space therein below said shelf.

4. In an ash tray a frame, a tray slidably mounted in said frame, a roller, havingv its major axis mounted in stationary relationship with said frame, said tray having a shelf portion disposed substantially horizontally adjacent the periphery of said roller compressible means on said tray engageable with said roller at its periphery for rotating the same in one direction when said tray is forced inwardly into said frame and second means preventing rotation of said roller in the opposite direction dur-ing movement of said tray outwardly of said frame and the forward portion of said shelf curved upwardly substantially concentric to said roller and said tray having storage space therein below said shelf and stop means for limiting the extension of said tray relative to said frame.

CHARLES A, JINKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

